Notre Dame signs a top three recruiting class on national signing day

SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- National Signing Day brought good news to Notre Dame as the Irish signed one of the top recruiting classes in the country.

Notre Dame added 27 new players — 16 on offense and 11 on defense — in a class that now ranks No. 2 nationally according to On3. It is the program’s highest-ranked class since 2013.

General Manager Mike Martin said the number of signees was higher than expected, but after the team’s national championship run, Notre Dame took advantage of the momentum. Martin said the staff “struck while the iron was hot” and did not want to pass on the opportunities in front of them.

One of the most impressive parts of this year’s class is its stability. Last year, Notre Dame had seven de-commitments. Of the 27 signees, 24 will enroll early next month, allowing them to join the team for spring practices and add depth right away.

The defensive back class stands out the most. Head coach Marcus Freeman takes pride in building through the defense and believes this group can build on what is already in place. He said cornerbacks Ayden Pouncey and Chaz Smith have been playing with strong confidence and hopes safety Nick Reddish can bring versatility to the secondary.

On offense, wide receiver Devin Fitzgerald has already caught Freeman’s attention. The coach said Fitzgerald reminds him of his father, Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald, because of his ability to always be in the right place to make a play. Another standout is wide receiver Kaydon Finley, who Freeman described as one of the most competitive players at the high school level. Both were heavily recruited by Notre Dame.

Freeman said the team’s recent success played a major role in this recruiting class.

“We’ve always said that you come here and strive to win national championships,” Freeman said. “A lot of these young people watched the run we made last year and they believe they can reach those individual and team goals here.”

As for the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame recently dropped to No. 10 in the rankings.

Freeman said he was confused by the move and felt there was no clear reason for the drop, especially after the team’s dominant win over Stanford. Now, Notre Dame must wait for Selection Sunday to see where it stands.